Capping-off device



' Feb. 12 1.924; 1,483,756 G. w. SWANSON CAPPING OFF DEVICE OriginalFiled A1191. 8 1922 Patented 'Feb. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUS W. SVANSON, 0F MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITEDSTATES WINDOW GLASS COMPANY, OF MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA, A COR-PORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

CAPPING-OFF DEVICE.

Application filed August 8, 1922, Serial No. 580,554. Renewed January 4,1924.

To all iii/tom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GUs 1V. SWANSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Morgantown, in the county of Monongalia and State of lVestVirginia, have invented a new and useful Capping-Off Device, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention is a device of the type used in window glass manufacture,for cappingoff glass cylinders, and for cutting such cylinders intoflattening lengths.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device by meansofwhich an electrically heated wire is utilized to impose the crackingtension in capping-off and cutting glass cylinders, in the manufactureof window glass and the like. A further object is to provide a device ofthe character mentioned, in which the heating wire is so disposed thatboth ends must be free and disconnected from the current, while saidwire is being passed around the cylinder to be operated upon, therebypermitting manipulation of the wire and protecting the operator fromdanger of electric shocks. A further object is to provide means wherebythe wire may be quickly placed in circuit with the heating current, ordisconnected therefrom, as occasion may require. A further. object is toprovide means whereby any slack in the heating wire, after it has beenpassed around the cylinder, may be readily and quickly taken up, so thatthe wire will firmly and closely embrace said cylinder, whereby thedevice is adapted for operation on cylinders of different diameters. Afurther object is to provide means for anchoring the ends of the heatingwire, combined with conductor wires provided with terminals which aremovable toward and from the anchored ends of the heating wire, to makeand break the circuit to said wire.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularlypointed out in the claims. I i

In the accompanying drawing 2-- Figure 1 is a top plan view, parts beingshown in section, illustrating a cappingoff switch constructed inaccordance with the invention. Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly insection, showing the parts in capping off position. Figure 3 is asimilar view showing parts in positions assumed after the heating wirehas been engaged with the cylinder, but before the slack has been taken.

up. Figure 4 is an end view.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a base of insulating material,preferably of fiber, )rovided with a longitudinal groove or channel 11,in which is mounted a slide 12. Said slide supports a stationary member13, to which is pivotally connected a clamp memberl l. Said clamp memberis held in clamping position by means of a latch 15, pivoted to themember 13 and engaging a pin 16.

The stationary member 13 is provided with longitudinally disposedgrooves or seats 17, to receive tubes 18 of insulating material such asfiber, for instance. Said tubes 18 are provided'with notches 19,engaging complemental projections 20 on the member 13, whereby relativelongitudinal movement of the tubes and the member 13 is prevented. 1 i

The heating wire 21 has its ends secured to rod-like conductor members22, extend,

ing through the tubes 18,and provided with reduced portions 23. Saidreduced portions are positioned to engage notches 2-1, in an anchoringpiece 25, secured to thebase 10, the extremities of said rods 22 beingenlarged, as indicated at 26, to form electric contacts.

Secured to the which may be of any preferred or desired construction,controlling the passage of current through the conductors 28, which maybe connected to a source of electrical energy by any well-known ordesired means. conductors 28 lead to terminals 29, located within aterminal block 30, secured to asnpport 31, which is slidably mounted in.the channel 11. of the base member 10. The support. 31 is provided witha spring-catch 3-32, which engages a notch 33 formed in the slide orsupport 12, and is positioned to be. disengaged by comm-g in contactwith the edge of one of the overhanging plates 34:-

which retain the slide 12 in place.

1n practice, when it is desired to cap a cylinder or to cut the sameinto flattening lentghs, the operator disengages the latch 15, whereuponthe clamp member 14. is free The to swing upon its hinge-support andthereb release the tubes 18 and the conductor members 22 locatedtherein. The operator then throws one of the tubes and its enclosedconductor member, around the cylinder and draws it taut, after whichboth tubes 18 are returned to their seats in the member 13, with theconductor members in. engagement with the anchoring member 25. The clampmember 14 is then placed over the tubes 18, and locked in position bymeans of the latch It will be understood that the parts are now in thepositions illustrated in Figure 3, the contacts 26 being out ofengagement with the contact terminals 29. The operator now slides themember 13 longitudinally of the base 10, the tubes 18 moving therewithtoward the cylinder, thereby taking up the slack in the wire 21 andholding the latter firmly and closely around the cylinder. As the member13 moves along the base 10, the support 31 and terminal block 30 aremoved simultaneously therewith by reason of the connection of the catch32with the support 12, thereby bringing the terminals 29 into electricalengagement with the extensions 26 of the conductor members 22. By thetime that this contact is firmly established, the end of theratch 32strikes the end of one ofthe plates 34, causing the catch to be liftedand disengaged from the slide 12, so that the latter with the partssupported thereby, may continue to move toward the cylinder until all ofthe slack in wire 21 is taken up. After the wire 2lhas been closedsnugly around the cylinder, the operator turns on the current at theswitch 27, whereupon the circuit is closed to the said wire 21, and thelatter is heated sufficiently to impose a cracking tension upon theglass. In view of the fact that the outer ends of the tubes 18 must beseparated by a slight gap,

it will be necessary for the operator to'tap the stick gently from timeto time so as to cause the wire 21 to travel a short distance in acircumferential direction around the cylinder, in a manner which is wellunderstood in the art.

The advantages of the invention will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art to which it belongs. It will be particularly notedthat by means of the electrically heated wire, the capping-offand'cutting of the glass cylinders is greatly facilitated and accuratelyaccomplished. An important advantage lies in the fact that both ends ofthe heating vwire must be free and disconnected from the current, whilethe wire is being positioned around the cylinder. This is because theconductor members 22 cannot be removed until the block 30 has beenmovedaway from' the ends 26 of said conductor members. Thus the operator isinsured against danger of shocks. and at the same time convenientmanipulation of the heating of the forms of its use, what; is claimed isl. A capping-off device comprising a heating wire, conductor memberssecured to the ends thereof, means for temporarily anchoring saidconductor members, conductors having terminals, and means whereby saidter minals may be moved into and out of engagement with said conductormembers.

2. A capping-off device comprising a heating wire, conductor memberssecured to the ends thereof, an anchoring member positioned to engagesaid conductor members, conductors having terminals, and means wherebysaid terminals may be moved into and out of engagement with saidconductor members. i

3. A capping-off device comprising a heat,- ing wire, conductor memberssecured to the ends thereof and provided with reduced portions, arelatively fixed anchoring member having notches engaging said reducedportions, conductors having terminals, and means whereby said terminalsmay be moved into and out of engagement with said conductor members.

4. A capping-01f device comprising a heating wire, conductor memberssecured, to the ends thereof, means for temporarily anchoring saidconductor members, a movable terminal block, conductors having terminalsin said block, and n'ieans for moving said block into and out ofengagement with said con ductor members.

5. A capping-off device comprising a heating wire, conductor memberssecured to the ends thereof, means for temporarily anchoring saidconductor members, a slidable support provided with a terminal block,relatively fixed conductors having terminals in said block, and meansfor moving said block into and out of engagement with said conductormembers.

6. A capping-off device comprising a heating wire, two conductor memberssecured to the ends thereof, means for temporarily anchoring saidconductor members in parallel relation and close proximity, conductorshaving terminals, and means whereby said terminals may be moved into andout of engagement with said conductor members.

7. A capping-off device comprising a base, a carrier movably mounted onsaid base, conductors secured to said base and provided with terminalsmounted to move with said carrier,-a heating wire having normally freeends positioned to register with said terminals, and means on the basecapable of anchoring the ends of said heating wire during movement ofthe terminals.

8. A capping-oif device switch comprising a base, a carrier movablymounted on said base, conductors secured to said base and provided withterminals mounted to move with said carrier, a heating wire, conductormembers secured to the ends of said heating wire and positioned toregister with said terminals, and means on the base capable of anchoringsaid conductor members during movement of said terminals.

9. A capping-01f device comprisingabase, a carrier movably mounted onsaid base, conductors secured to said base and provided with terminalsmounted to move with the carrier, a heating wire having normally treeends positioned to register with said terminals, and an anchoring membersecured to said base and positioned to hold the ends of said heatingwire against movement during movement of the terminals.

10. A capping-off device comprising base, a carrier movably mounted onsaid base, a terminal block slidably mounted on said base, conductorssecured to said base and provided with terminals mounted in said block,a heating wire having normally free ends positioned to register withsaid terminals, and means on the base capable of anchoring the ends ofthe heating wire during movement of the terminal block.

11. A capping-off device comprising a base, a carrier movably mounted onsaid base, a terminal block slidably mounted on said base, conductorssecured to said base and provided with terminals mounted on said block,a heating wire supported by said carrier and having normally free endspositioned to register with said terminals, :1 spring-catch carried bythe terminal block slide and positioned to engage the carrier, and meanson the base capable of temporarily anchoring the ends of the heatingwire.

12. A capping-oil device comprising a heating wire, conductor memberssecured to the ends thereof, means for temporarily anchoring saidconductor members, conductors having terminals, means whereby saidterminals may be moved into and out of engagement with said conductormembers, and means for taking up slack in the heating wire after it hasbeen engaged with the cylinder to be operated upon.

13. A cappingoif device comprising a heating wire, conductor memberssecured to the ends thereof, means for temporarily anchoring saidconductor members, a movable terminal block, conductors having terminalsin said block, means for moving said block into and out of engagementwith said conductor members, and means for taking up slack in theheating wire after ithas been engaged with the cylinder to be operatedupon.

14. A capping-01f device comprising a base, a carrier movably mounted onsaid base, conductors secured to said base and provided with terminalsmounted to move with said carrier, a heating wire having normally freeends positioned to register with said terminals, means on the base;capable of anchoring the ends of said heating wire during movement ofthe terminals, and means for taking up slack in the heating wire afterit has been engaged with the cylinder to be operated upon.

15. A capping-oil device comprising a. heating wire, conductor memberssecured to the ends thereof, insulating tubes enclosing said conductormembers and movable longitudinally with respect thereto, means fortemporarily anchoring said conductor members, conductors havingterminals, and means whereby said terminals may be moved into and out ofengagement with said conductor members.

16. A cappmg-oii' device comprising a base, a carrier slidably mountedon said base, sleeves engaged and supported by said carrier, a heatingwire, conductor members located within said sleeves and connected to theends of said wire, conductors secured to said base and provided withmovably mounted terminals, and means whereby said terminals may be movedinto and out of engagement with said conductor members.

17. A capping-off device comprising a base, a slide mounted on said baseand provided with longitudinally disposed seats, insulating tubescomplemental to said seats, a pivoted clamp member positioned tomaintain said tubes in place on said slide, conductor members locatedwithin said sleeves, a heating wire having its ends connected with saidconductor members, conductors secured to said base and having movablysupported terminals, and means whereby said terminals may be moved intoand out of engagement with said conductor members.

18. A capping-off device comprising a base, a carrier slidably supportedthereby, a heating Wire, insulating tubes enclosing the ends of theheating wire, means -for temporarily anchoring the ends of said wire tosaid base, means for temporarily anchoring the tubes to the slidablemember, and conductors having terminals movable toward and from theanchored ends of the heating wire.

19. A capping-0E device comprising a base, a carrier slidably supportedthereby. a heating wire, insulating tubes enclosing the ends of theheating wire, means for temporarily anchoring the ends of said wire tosaid base, means for temporarily anchoring the tubes to the slidablemember, conductors having terminals movable toward and from the anchoredends of the heating Wire, and means providing for relative longitudinalmovement of said carrier and said sleeves.

20. A capping-off device comprising a base, an anchoring member rigidlysecured thereto, a carrier slid-ably mounted on said base, insulatingtubes engaged by said carrier, conductor members located in said sleevesand positioned to engage said anchoring member, a hea ing wire havingits n secured to said conductor members, and conductors'rigidlyconnected to said base and provided with terminals movable into and outof engagement With the conductor i'nen bers while the latter are beingheld by said anchoring member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GUS W. SWANSON.

